In modern football, a natural left foot is one of the most coveted tactical assets a team can possess.
When the LA Galaxy acquired midfielder Pablo Ruiz before the end of the transfer window, head coach Greg Vanney raved about having a left-footed midfielder. It’s estimated that 21% of professional players are left-footed. Most times, these players are playing out wide as either full backs or wingers, but not too often do you find them playing deep in midfield.
With Ruiz not getting a lot of playing time at Real Salt Lake, the Galaxy saw the opportunity to add a profile they severely lack.
The most profound impact of a left-footed specialist is often felt in the midfield. Whether operating as an advanced playmaker in the half-spaces or as a deep-lying pivot (No. 6), a left-footed midfielder fundamentally alters a team’s passing patterns and can unlock more options in build-up play.
“That’s what lefties do. They see the game from a different direction sometimes than righties,” said Vanney after LA’s 2-0 win over the Portland Timbers.
“In the past, Riqui (Puig) would always hit the switch from left to right and look for the guys running in, and now you have something that, from that midfield level, not from the center back level, who’s able to play that switch to the other side. And it’s a really nice to have,” Vanney said about Ruiz’s impact in midfield. The Argentine has already become a key player for the Galaxy, as he’s started in six of LA’s last seven games.
The Galaxy’s 2-2 draw with San Diego FC isn’t the ideal result for the LA Galaxy but it allowed for Ruiz to show what he can do best in possession.
“I feel that I have adapted very well, very quickly. I understand the coach’s ideas, trying to associate with my teammates. I think that for the moment, even though I just arrived, I feel that all the new reinforcements who have arrived have been able to help the Galaxy and be in a playoff position,” Ruiz said after the match against San Diego.
Ruiz’s signature trait is his lofted long ball. He can hit the ball at the right pace for his teammates to run-on to or fit the ball in the right pockets of space. According to FotMob, Ruiz ranks in the 93rd percentile for accurate long balls (3.9 per 90) and 82nd percentile for accurate passes (54.3 per 90).
The ability to hit sweeping, outward-curving diagonal long balls to the opposite flank acts like a quarterback hitting a receiver perfectly in stride, opening up passing lanes that are harder for right-footed players to. Ruiz provided these moments in the buildup on multiple occasions against San Diego.
This clip here is the perfect sequence to show why Vanney loves having a left footed player.
When Ruiz hits the ball to Robert Taylor, the outward curve allows Taylor to run onto the ball in stride and keep the ball away from the defender. If this were a right footed pass, the inward angle would help the center back catch up to the ball and Taylor would have prepare to contest a duel.
Ruiz plays like a quarterback in the pocket when he gets the ball in the middle of the pitch. With no pressure, the Argentine has great accuracy to pick out what ever pass he wants. Taylor gets the ball and LA is in the final third ready to create an attacking sequence.
The Galaxy struggles the most when they can’t get out of their own half or fail to get the ball in dangerous positions. In this clip, Ruiz drops to create a Lavolpiana build-up so the Galaxy can play a 3-2-5 in possession. With Reus dragging a center back, Ruiz finds Taylor in plenty of space. LA gets in the final third directly.
Even when he is in his attacking half, Ruiz can fit a lofted ball in dangerous spaces. In this clip, he picks the ball and puts into the box. Reus can’t control it but it show’s he’s a threat to break lines that way.
“I like him very much. He reminds me a little bit of Nuri Şahin,” said Reus after LA’s 3-2 win over Minnesota. Şahin possessed an elite ability to read the game by breaking defensive lines with perfectly weighted through balls or switching the point of attack with long diagonal passes. Similar to the clips we have seen with Ruiz so far.
“He gives us a different solution, especially with his left foot, because it’s really rare in our squad that we have a left foot in this position. So, it’s another piece for us, and he did great since he arrived here. I remember his first training. His impact was massive.,” Marco Reus.
The main knock on the Argentine is that he isn’t the savviest defensively. He won’t lunge into tackles, nor is he great at defending against the dribble. But he is smart at positioning himself to cut off passing lanes and is well disciplined to play in any defensive structure.
With LAFC up next for the G’s and a close race for the playoffs, Vanney’s side can’t afford to drop points if they want to secure a spot in the postseason. The late addition of Ruiz is the latest tactical wrinkle LA hopes works out in its favor.